Retail Crime & Anti-Social Behaviour in Norwich

We have dedicated Retail Beat Managers who work with local businesses,  the Business Improvement District, and national crime reporting agencies such as the NBCS to identify emerging patterns of retail crime and associated anti-social behaviour.  

In 2020 colleagues from Essex Police implemented an initiative to refocus the use of Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBOs) on prolific offenders against businesses. The aim was to introduce a process whereby a CBO application is prepared for known prolific offenders in advance of their next arrest. This allows for the CBO application to be heard at court alongside their other offences. Candidates for the initiative were considered for selection if they had high occurrences of offending (against businesses primarily but all offending was considered) alongside an element of anti-social, harassment, abusive or violent behaviour. Other potential candidates for the intuitive were selected based on information from businesses the Essex team were working closely with who were repeatedly causing problems for the business and their staff, where there was anti-social, harassment, abusive or violent elements to the offending.  

After an assessment of this process and its results was published in June 2022 showing that the issuing of CBOs by the courts had produced a statistically significant reduction in offending by the chosen subjects, Norwich Officers started implementing a similar process here.  

As part of our preparation to rollout this process, we're reaching out to Norwich residents and visitors, asking them to tell us about their experiences regarding theft and anti-social behaviour in the city. Rather than "just the facts" we want to know how witnessing an incident as a victim or a passer-by has affected you. The responses we get will be collated and used, anonymously, as supporting evidence in court.  

If you've encountered theft or anti-social behaviour, as a victim, a witness (as a member of the public or shop staff), or simply as a passer-by, completing our form will provide us with the accounts we need to support and complement businesses' statements and Police evidence in court, and may result in conditions being imposed to shoplifters such as banning them from particular shops or even whole areas of the city centre, and offenders may face prison if they breach these conditions.  

You'll be able to remain completely confidential or to give us your details should you wish (as we may decide to contact you to discuss something you tell us). If the information you provide is used in court, this will be done anonymously.  

You can fill out our form here.